KUDOS to the CERCLE HERNANI for the nuttiest campaign in France's regional elections.
The slogan?
THANK YOU FOR NOT VOTING FOR VALERIE PECRESSE, LOVER OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE!
Ms. Pécresse's crimes?
She is an "Obsédée d'anglais" (loosely translated as "English-loving maniac), recipient of the PRIX D'INCIVILITE LINGUISTIQUE (prize for linguistic incivility) for her effforts to improve English language skills among university graduates.
The Cerle Hernant begs voters to reject Ms. Pécresse in the regional elections: "IN THE NAME OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE, THE FRANCOPHONIE, THE STRUGGLE AGAINST ALL-POWERFUL ENGLISH AND IN GENERAL FOR THE RESPECT OF DIVERSITY IN LANGUAGES."
It goes so far as to compare her to Nazi sympathizers and to call her a "poison" to the French language.!
I swear I do not make this up.
To see this remarkable diatribe against the Minister of Higher Education, click here.
Strange indeed.
Who is the Association Francophonie Avenir?
Is it just crackpots? Or is it an official association which receives taxpayers subsidies?
To find out I asked the Secretaire d'Etat Chargé de la Coopération et de la Francophonie Alain Joyandet.
Meanwhile, here is a link to the tract distibuted by Francophonie Avenir:
http://www.francophonie-avenir.com/Tract%20%C2%AB%20P%C3%A9cresse,%20l'anglomane%20%C2%BB.pdf
Posted by: Laurel Zuckerman | 12 March 2010 at 06:34
Hi Laurel, the post from Cercle Hernani is signed by Mme Françoise Buy Rebaud who is teacher of... German!
See:
http://www.mpfid.fr/content/view/14/36/
BP
Posted by: GRI | 11 March 2010 at 11:39